The next seven days were a testament to Kai's determination to complete the requirements of what was to come.
Each morning began before dawn, his muscles screaming in protest as he forced himself through the grueling routine.
The first day, he barely managed to do 200 push-ups before his arms gave out. But he kept going, breaking the exercises into sets throughout the day.
As a police officer he was expecting everything to go very smoothly, but was wrong instead his body has become even more weaker than before.
However by day three, his blood vessels had burst in his palms, creating ugly purple splotches. His legs trembled with each squat, but the voice of Nemesis and the hunger to get revenge drove him forward.
"Justice delayed is justice denied,"
it whispered in his mind each time he wanted to give up and take things easily, however the world's kept pushing him beyond normal human limits.
The 50-kilometer runs were the worst. He started with 10 kilometers, vomiting twice on the first attempt. But each day, he pushed further, running through the dense forest surrounding his home. The isolation became his ally, allowing him to focus solely on building the strength he would need for what was to come.
By the fifth day, something changed. The pain began to feel distant, almost irrelevant.
His body moved with a fluidity he had never experienced before. The exercises that had seemed difficult now flowed naturally, one into the next.
Push-ups became a meditation, squats a rhythm, and then running... running became freedom.
On the seventh day, as the sun set, Kai completed his final set.
His body was drenched in sweat, but his breathing was steady, controlled. He felt different - stronger, faster, more sharper.
At that moment the system's interface appeared before him.
[Push-up requirement completed: 1000/1000]
[Squat requirement completed: 1000/1000]
[Jumping jack requirement completed: 1000/1000]
[50KM run requirement completed: 50/50]
[Host has completed the body requirements for the next mission.
Host stats have improved.
Strength increases +30
Intelligence +10
Agility +20
Stamina +5
Perception +5
Weaponry +5]
Upon seeing his new stats Kai was happy to see the new development on his stats, and he could feel the changes around. His body seems to be packed with a lot of energy.
At that moment Kai leaned back in his chair, contemplating the changes in his body.
He had expected the system to work like the video games he used to play, where you'd earn points and then manually distribute them to different attributes.
Instead, the system had intelligently enhanced his abilities across the board, adapting to his needs in ways he couldn't have predicted.
The physical changes were obvious - his muscles were more defined, his movements more fluid. But it was the mental clarity that surprised him most. His thoughts seemed sharper, more focused, like a blade that had been freshly honed.
At that moment he stood up walking to his nearly empty fridge, Kai grabbed the last gallon of milk. The bare shelves reminded him that he'd need to venture out soon for supplies.
As he drank directly from the container, his mind wandered to Leo's betrayal.
The memory of those three gunshots still burned hot in his chest.
His hand unconsciously tightened around the milk jug, the plastic crunching under his enhanced strength.
"Soon,"
he whispered to the empty kitchen. "Soon you'll understand what it means to betray me, partner."
The word
'partner'
came out like venom from his lips. "I trusted that bastard, I would take a bullet for him if need be, but Instead, Leo tried to kill me, a partner I trusted so much."
Just then, the familiar blue interface materialized before his eyes, its message making his heart race:
[Random mission detected.
Host capabilities would now be put to test]
The blue text materialized in front of Kai's eyes, each word making his blood run colder as he read through.
[A little girl named Mia, age 10, had been kidnapped from school. The mastermind had been doing this for several years now and has caused many innocent people and families suffering and death. It's time to put an end to his madness!
Kill him and take the girl back home]
Upon seeing the mission and getting a full understanding of the
everything Kai's jaw clenched. "Children. It was always about children. First the trafficking ring I have been investigating for years, and I almost lost my life and now this."
Kai was still busy talking to himself when the system sounded again.
[Host cannot afford to fail this mission. Justice must prevail for the lives lost.]
The words resonated with something deep inside him.
without being told he could tell this wasn't just a test of his new abilities - it was a test of his resolve. Could he become the instrument of justice the goddess Nemesis demanded?
[Host has an hour to complete this mission. Your time starts now.]
immediately Kai's eyes snapped to the digital clock that appeared in the corner of his vision: 59:59... 59:58... 58:57...
"The countdown has begun."
[Justice delayed is justice denied]
The system's last message echoed in Kai's mind as he processed the mission parameters.
At that moment grim smile crossed his face.
"No more bureaucracy, no more waiting for warrants, no more watching criminals walk freely on technicalities when it gets to court. The police had their chance. Now it's time for a different kind of justice and that is me, I will bring peace to this world and make the wicked suffer."
At that moment Kai lips tightened as moved to the briefcase in his system storage, pulling out the black uniform.
The material felt strange against his skin, somehow both lightweight and protective.
As he zipped up the final piece, a heads-up display activated in his vision, similar to the video games he used to play.
A glowing path appeared before him, marking his route through the city.
Stepping outside, Kai broke into a run because the place wasn't that far.
The week of training had transformed him - his strides were longer, his movements more efficient.
The world seemed to flow past him in a blur as he moved at speeds that would have been impossible before. What should have been a thirty-minute Walk took mere minutes.
Kai reached the place in no time.